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DEATH ON THE NIGHT OF LOST LIZARDS is the third book in the Hungarian Tea House Mysteries by Julia Buckley. This series just keeps getting better and better and I couldn’t put this book down. The author does an admirable job in setting the scene with plenty of holiday ambiance and Hungarian language, food, and folklore. While this is a mystery, I truly enjoyed getting to learn snippets of Hungarian myths and legends that the protagonist, Hana Keller, introduces throughout the story. Combined with the psychic abilities Hana is discovering and her tea leaf reading Grandmother, the book became magical and I didn’t want to stop reading until I’d devoured the entire story. I also loved the delightful descriptions of the unique tea set gifted to Hana by a beloved uncle, even if I’m not a fan of lizards.

The author uses the rare tea set, with the twin lizard handles, as a backdrop to the mystery. She showcases how the design evokes the theme of having two choices for every decision a person faces in their life and the duality that lives in each of us. She effectively intertwines this theme with the mystery of who killed a local college professor. I also admired how Hana’s relationship with her detective boyfriend, Erik, is progressing, and how he appreciates her intelligence and insights into the crime. As the clues unfold – it helps that a large group of suspects hold a memorial service for the victim at Hana’s family’s tea house – the sharp reader can follow along with Hana in narrowing in on the killer. But truthfully, this is such a beautifully written book, I wanted to sit back and enjoy it all without distraction, and as the conclusion wrapped up, I longed to be able to read the next book in the series right away!

Running the tea house with her mother and grandmother, there are all sorts of amazing Hungarian dishes mentioned with mouthwatering details! The author provides a few recipes at the back of the book for readers to try at home. With a theme of Christmas central to this book, I just had to try Juliana’s Christmas Mézeskalács, which are basically Hungarian honey gingerbread cookies. These are much softer gingerbread cutout cookies than I’m used to, but they’re delicious nonetheless. I loved the unique addition of honey and the spices made the cookies comforting. After a search on Pinterest, I tried to mimic the decorative Hungarian designs piped onto the cookies. Festive and delicious, these cookies will make holiday cookie platters appear elegant and enticing!

Amazon Synopsis

Along with her mother and grandmother, Hana Keller has achieved renown serving tea and cakes with a European flair, but when a local professor is killed, she uncovers a serving of suspects instead…

Hana Keller is getting ready for a lovely holiday season. When she receives a rare tea set as a birthday gift, she decides to host a tea at her apartment for her closest friends. During the cozy get-together, one of Hana’s friends gets word that a murderer is on the loose. Hana soon learns that the victim was Sandor Balog, a professor of Hungarian Studies at the local college.

With her growing psychic ability, Hana senses that she is going to be pulled into the investigation of the professor’s death somehow. With her sexy boyfriend Erik on the case, Hana finds the Tea House steeped in suspects. She studies the smiling faces celebrating the season, but the real killer is good at hiding the truth and putting Hana in the hot seat….

A special thanks to Berkley Publishing for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of DEATH ON THE NIGHT OF LOST LIZARDS! Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Sunday, June 20, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

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Juliana's Christmas Mézeskalács

Boldog ünnepeket!! Boldog Karácsonyt! (Merry Christmas!)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2-1/2 cups flour (15.5 ounces - pack the flour into the measuring cup)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. To start, melt the butter and honey in a small pot.

2. Eventually mix in both kinds of sugar, but don't boil. Let the mixture cool before moving to step 4.

3. In a bowl, stir together 2 cups of the flour, the salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

4. After cooling butter, honey, and sugar, beat the eggs and add them in.

5. Add the ingredients in your pot to the dry ingredients.

6. Mix dough well. If need be, divide into pieces for easier storage.

7. Seal in plastic or foil and refrigerate chunks of dough overnight.

8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

9. Taking one chunk at a time, roll out your dough on a floured surface and cut with cookie cutters of your choosing.

10. Place cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate cutouts for 10 minutes before baking.

11. Bake at 350 degrees (F) for about 8 - 10 minutes.

12. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack and cool completely before decorating.

13. Now the magic begins! It is time to decorate the Mézeskalács. Perhaps check Pinterest or other baking sites for some patterns you can paint or pipe (with frosting) onto your cookies to make them look truly like the traditional Hungarian treats.

14. Make sure to take pictures of your works of art before people eat them!

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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THE DIVA SERVES FORBIDDEN FRUIT is the fourteenth book in the Domestic Diva Mystery series by Krista Davis. From the charming cover to the endearing characters to the well-plotted mystery, this newest release captures it all! I always look forward to visiting Old Town Alexandria, VA and catching up with Sophie Winston and her friends. With the backdrop of creative festivals, this time around a DIY Home Decorating Festival, the characters exhibit their strengths in spades. Sophie is an expert at organizing and hosting large events while solving a multitude of problems. Natasha (Sophie’s frenemy) is a house decorating diva, however impractical her designs may be, but they do provide lighthearted humor! And Nina (Sophie’s best friend) has always been there to lend support to the multitude of bad situations Sophie finds herself in. However, in this newest release, Nina is the one needing all the support she can muster when her traveling companion is brutally murdered shortly after returning home from Portugal and finds that she might be the next victim on the killer’s list.

From the first, Ms. Davis sets up intriguing scenarios that tie in to the international travel and the ongoing festival. I was captivated as the story unfolded and each clue sent my mind scurrying off in a tangent direction. At times the crimes committed were heartbreaking but the author’s interjection of heartwarming community spirit and friendship kept the book from becoming dark. There are suspects aplenty and lots of subplots to keep track of, but in the end all the threads of the story are pulled together in a cohesive conclusion. And best of all, the ending gives the reader a heartening surprise that left a smile on my face.

Sophie is known for her generous hospitality and shows her affection and love for her friends by feeding them – all the time! So many mouthwatering meals, snacks, and desserts are served at Sophie’s table, that the reader will be left famished as they read the tasty descriptions. Fortunately, there are several recipes, both savory and sweet, at the back of the book which all sound fabulous. I was instantly drawn to the recipe for Bourbon Chocolate Chip Blondies. As you know, I love cookies and I think that chocolate and bourbon have a natural affinity. With pantry and dairy staples, these mixed together quickly and it didn’t take long to pop them into the oven. My family also appreciated that these bars don’t need to be thoroughly cooled before cutting into and savoring each delectable bite!

Amazon Synopsis

With Old Town’s DIY Home Decorating Festival in full swing, Sophie’s swamped, juggling a bumper crop of artisans, antique dealers, and decorators for the busy street fair. Still, when her best friend Nina suddenly needs a ride from the airport, Sophie is happy to help . . . until she sees Nina disembarking in a state of disarray. It’s obvious the trip to Portugal soured somewhere along the way. But after one of Nina’s traveling companions turns up murdered the following day, Sophie knows something is truly rotten . . .

Though the crime scene is staged to look like an accident, Sophie isn’t fooled and peels off to conduct her own investigation. Her only clue is a strange image the victim scratched into the soil before dying. Could it point to a cryptic killer in Old Town? A bitter travel adversary? Or a cursed artifact smuggled back from the trip? As the mystery grows, so does the body count, and if Sophie doesn’t pluck the murderer soon, her best friend may be the next to fall . . .

A special thanks to Krista Davis for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of THE DIVA SERVES FORBIDDEN FRUIT! Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

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Bourbon Chocolate Chip Blondies

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 - 3 tablespoons Bourbon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease and flour an 8 x 8-inch pan and line with one piece of parchment paper cut to fit the sides, but long enough to act as handles on two sides for removing the blondies.

2. Melt the butter and set aside.

3. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

4. Beat the eggs with the dark brown sugar until thick and lighter in color. Beat in the bourbon and vanilla.

5. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and butter. Give one quick mix to combine and pour half of it into the pan.

6. Sprinkle the chocolate chips in a single layer and pour the remaining batter over them, spreading it out over the top. If adding flaky salt, dust the top with a pinch or two.

7. Bake 20 minutes. (Do not bake longer or else they won't be chewy!)

8. Using the edge of the parchment paper as handles, lift out of the pan and cool on a baking rack. They can be eaten warm or cold.

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.